[js]For some reason, we've decided to go offal-intensive with our Spanish-inspired menu, probably because we've been consulting the Culinaria Spain book and they do have a lot of offal dishes in there.

I wasn't sure how our offal dishes were going to be received by our guests.

It was a gamble with something so undisguisable as pig's feet -- but I figure the cocido (stew) we envisioned would have other meats beside the feet to make it more palatable to our other guests.

[js]The day before cooking, I roasted off a turkey carcass and some veal bones, then made stock.

[ts]Our turkey stock and veal stock were ready for next day's action.

Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Soaking

[js]Also on the same day, I started to soak some dried chickpeas in some water.

Day of Cookingpots simmering away

[js]To make the cocido, I first fried off some pieces of bacon.

blurry bacon browning

[js]I then used some of the fat rendered from the bacon to brown off my pork shoulder and shank pieces...

pork shoulder & shank

[js]...and pig's feet.

pig's feet pieces

[js]I must say, while I was browning off the pigs feet, I was hit with such an intoxicating fragrance that I wanted to gobble them up then and there!

[js]I had dusted some salt and smoked paprika on the pigs feet, and when they hit the oil...

WOWZO!

I managed to hold it together to continue on making the dish. I set the browned pork shoulder and pig's feet pieces aside, putting them into a pot for now.

huge pot with browned pork pieces

[ts]After browning, the onions went into the pot with the good bits of crusted-on pig at the bottom. Garlic went in next.

[js]I deglazed with a cup of white wine, and then added some turkey and/or veal stock. The browned off pig pieces went back into the pot.

brimming

[ts]Or, more accurately, we poured the deglazed onions and liquid into the big pot o' pork.

Smoked Ham Hocksmoked ham hock

[ts]We also threw in a smoked ham hock into our cocido, by the way, for smoky porky goodness.

BACON + PORK SHOULDER + PIG'S FEET + SMOKED HAM HOCK.

Can it get any porkier?

Two big pots o' pork.

[ts]At first I thought we could get by with cooking the big pot o' pork as is -- ambitious, I know -- but a little boil-over told me that we had to separate the lot into two pots.Chorizo and Morcilla Sausageschorizo

[ts]While the two big pots o' pork were simmering away, we prepared the other ingredients for the cocido. We fried up some chorizo...

left: chorizo; right: morcilla

[ts]...and some morcilla (blood) sausages.

We had to look for these sausages as they were a little hard to find. We finally found some at Universal Bakery, a Portuguese establishment, where we also bought a Pudim Flan.

[ts]The broth was rich and quite heavenly. It was great slurping it down with tender pieces of cabbage, which lent their sweetness to the whole dish while at the same time were flavored with all the porky goodness. The chickpeas were also very flavorful, having bathed in that porky goodness.

If making the gremolata, chop parsley, cilantro, capers, and garlic. Mix with orange and/or lemon zest. Set aside until ready to use.

In a pot, sauté bacon pieces until browned. Remove from pot and set aside.

Season pork shoulder and/or shank pieces, and the pig's feet, with salt and paprika.

In the same pot, brown pork shoulder and/or shank cubes. You may need to add more oil as necessary and brown in batches. Set aside.

In the same pot, brown the pig's feet. You may need to add more oil as necessary and brown in batches. Set aside.

In the same pot, cook onions and garlic until soft. Season with salt and smoked paprika, and add your desired amount of black peppercorns. Pour in white wine to deglaze the pot: scrape off softened browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Add the browned pork shoulder/shank cubes and browned pig's feet back into the pot. Cover with stock (or until stock is almost covering all the pork). Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer. Cooking time will take approximately 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours.

While the pot is simmering, slice chorizo sausages. Pan-fry slices in olive oil. Morcilla sausages can be kept whole. Pan-fry the morcilla in olive oil as well.

About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, add the cooked chickpeas and sliced cabbage into the simmering pot. Stir in and cook until cabbage is desired tenderness.

Alternatively, one can cook the cabbage in a separate pot with some of the braising liquid, until desired tenderness.

The stew is done when the pork shoulder/shank pieces and the pig's feet are tender.

To serve, place stew in serving vessel and add the chorizo slices and pan-fried morcilla sausages, as well as the fried bacon. Serve with the "gremolata", if desired.

What a Feast you organised there!! here in Spain the tend to put in a pigs ear also and afterwards serve it seperateley cut into pieces and served with chopped garlic, paprica a bit of oil and vinagar, but throw everthing in together at the same time and i thnk it would be a lot easyer but it looks fantastic.